The Tujia people number about 5.7 million (1990), with Yongshun, Longshan, Baojing, Guzhang and other counties of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan Province as the main areas of settlement, and the rest in Laifeng, Lichuan, Hefeng, Xianfeng, Xuanen and other counties of Enshi District in Hubei Province, as well as in the Tujia Autonomous Prefectures in Sichuan Province, such as Shizhuqianjiang and Pengshui.
The language of the Tujia belongs to the Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language family, close to the Yi branch. There is no native script, and Chinese has long been used. The vast majority of the Tujia people are general Chinese, some of them are also fluent in Miao, only Yongshun, Longshan, some remote areas, only speak Tujia language.
The Tujia people call themselves "Bizka", meaning local people. They call the Han Chinese "Hakka". Two thousand years ago, they settled in today's western Hunan and western Hubei, and at that time, together with other ethnic minorities, they were insultingly called "Wuling barbarians" or "Wuxi barbarians". About the origin of the Tujia people, one says that it is the descendant of the ancient Ba people; one says that it is a part of the Wu barbarians who moved into western Hunan from Guizhou in ancient times; one says that it is the descendant of the 100 artisans who moved into western Hunan from Jiangxi led by Peng Xian from the end of the Tang Dynasty to the beginning of the Fifth Dynasty (before and after the 1910s). All these claims need to be further researched. But one thing can be concluded. That is, about since the fifth generation, the western region of Hunan and Hubei Tujia this stable people **** the same body, began to gradually form a single ethnic group.
The Tujia inhabited the hilly areas of western Hunan and Hubei, the altitude of more than four hundred to fifteen hundred meters between the territory of the overlapping mountain ranges, the mountains are densely covered, the Wuling Mountains across the period, the Youshui, the river, the Qingjiang River crisscrossing the climate is mild, the rainfall, with the development of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, vice and fisheries in good condition. The mountains are densely forested, with terraces full of rice, corn, potatoes, wheat, etc.; cash crops include sugar beet, ramie, cotton, oleander, oil tea, tea, etc., of which oleander and oil tea are the main items in the multiple management of the Tujia area, and occupy an important position in the economic life of the Tujia people. Economic forest trees include pine, fir, nan and cypress. In addition, valuable medicinal herbs, aquatic products and underground mineral deposits are also very rich, and the specialty baby fish is a precious animal famous both at home and abroad.
Tujia Folklore
Mourning Dance
Tujia Mourning Dance, also known as around the coffin, playing around the coffin, funeral drums, is a folk song and dance inherited by the Ba people two thousand years ago. When an old man dies, the spirit pivot is parked in front of the hall for a few days, and relatives and neighbors go to offer condolences. In the night, "drumming and singing", all night long, to increase the warm atmosphere, said for the dead people to solve the silence, comfort the new family mourning. Tujia people love mourning dance, "hear the drums, feet itch". Mourning dance is basically similar to the characteristics of the Tujia hand dance, hands and feet with the side, dance net bold, action Ping Committee, soothing with a strong rhythm to beat the oscillator music, the dancers dance while singing, singing more fake voice, similar to shouting songs. Suitable for men, women and children to dance, dance vocabulary health, generally to celebrate the life of the deceased, singing and nurturing as well as production and labor aspects of the content of the main. Tujia funeral dance set song, dance, blowing, playing in one, is a comprehensive folk art, funeral dance is essentially a folk ritual activities, showing the Tujia people on the worship of Zu Fu. 2, bench dragon
The Tujia people to the bench as a "dragon lantern" dance formation. Two people, three people can, two people dance is a front and a back, three people dance is a front and a back. Dance movements are "river eagle wings", "snowflakes cover the top", "yellow dragon wrapped around the waist", "tiger downhill" and so on. Activity time is mostly in the lunar New Year's Eve to the first month of the 15th. The festivals are also celebrated.
Lantern Opera
Lantern Opera is a popular folk theater in the Wuling Mountains. Its characteristics are four: one is simple clothing, an official clothes, a top hat, three pairs of mouth strips, a sword is enough; two is the character of less, raw, Dan, ugly three lines, often introduced a man and a woman, up to no more than four people; three is not much instrumental music, the field of literature with only one person with a "big tube" accompaniment, the martial arts field to increase the drums, gongs, and the fourth is not a performance. ......, the fourth is not to choose the place of performance, dams, squares can be. Lantern Opera due to the performance of different meanings and different names of the new Spring Festival, celebrating the festive season, known as the "Hexin lamp", Ching Ming Festival, known as the "Ching Ming lamp", birthday birthday, known as the "Shou Lantern", the male marriage, the female marriage, The festival is known as "Gong Lantern" for the marriage of men and women, and the holding of children and grandchildren. There are more than 60 lamp plays.
Daughters will
Daughters will be the original Tujia (Miao also) young people talking about love traditional customary festivals, the lunar calendar, May 3, July 12 held, male and female young people dressed up, go to catch the meeting. In the old days, girls were not allowed to go out, only this day to set in the meeting, so it is called "daughter will". Girls who want to choose their husbands, dressed in multiple layers, long inside and short outside, so that all the good clothes can be seen. When they go to the fair, they bring some local products and pretend to sell them. The man who wants to find an object is carrying an empty basket, pretending to shop, and if he likes the girl, he will come forward to "shop". In a funny "bargaining" in each show ingenuity, to understand each other. If the price is rising, indicating that the girl does not agree, not lad should be interested in walking away, otherwise they will be scolded. On the contrary, that is to say that the girl acquiesced, the two sides out of the downtown area, find a secluded place to book a lifetime event.
Weeding Gongs and Drums
The Tujia people call rice plowing weeding and corn plowing weeding. These two agricultural activities, are worth the summer season, inevitably fatigue and tiredness, in order to revitalize the spirit, regulate the mind and body, that is, accompanied by gongs and drums to help cheer up, so it is called gripping grass Luo drums. Weed gongs and drums are generally a gong and a drum, knocking themselves out, singing words mostly wishing for good weather, a good harvest, there are also historical stories, in addition, the rappers also improvise from time to time, joking and amusing, and play the role of drumming and refueling. 6, note rice year meat
Turkish people wishing the year auspicious: rice and meat, especially on the good bacon mixed with glutinous millet steamed into a dish for the "reunion" when the family comment, rice, meat as the subject of the four eight lines for good luck.
Nanju Opera
Nanju Opera takes its name from the word "nan" in Shi Nanfu. And because of its music system by the "South Road" (like "two reeds"), "North Road" (like "Xipi"), "on the road (like" Qinqiang ")三大声腔组成，又与公傩戏、灯戏、本地山歌及祭祀音乐等汇融，故成为一种得具特色的剧种。 South music by the drums and drums and music composed of music, the role of the four major lines of raw, Dan, net, ugly, both military and civilian theater martial arts singing, qigong and martial arts miscellaneous in which. Types of plays are mostly legendary plays and historical storytelling, traditional repertoire of nearly a thousand. 8, Nuo opera
Nuo opera is in the folk custom of rewarding the gods wishing ceremony based on the evolution of a local opera. Characterized by masked performances; Nuo opera is divided into "eight out" and "out of eight" two kinds of, "out of eight" unified witchcraft rituals, "out of eight The "outer eight" is the plot of the folded and the big drama. The role of raw, Dan, net, ugly four lines, singing high, flat, mournful, flower drum cavity, mountain song cavity. Nuo opera to simple, simple, living by the rural people like. Villagers pay God ancestor worship, birthday wishes, add children, marriage and funeral, honor and glory, the gold list, welcome the gods will be as well as disaster relief and seek blessings, the difficult to go evil, are playing Nuo opera.
Over the community
Tujia people attach importance to the spring community, that is, after the spring of the fifth e day. Society ten days before the day of the community, the main activities of the community have two, one is the ancestors, but sweeping the new graves but check; the second is to eat "social rice", that is, with the end of the Ai Penny, wild garlic, ground rice Lei, beans, thousand grains of bacon diced as a condiment for the steaming of glutinous rice, family, neighbors, and friends, and each other gifts to show the harmony and unity, the community day forbidden to hoeing and ploughing, otherwise it will interfere with the agricultural work.
Company ten sisters
Company ten sisters is a unique form of Tujia girls crying marriage. The bride was married the first night, parents invited the neighboring unmarried girls 9 people, even the bride *** 10 people sitting around the table, singing all night, so it is called accompanied by ten sisters song. Ten sisters to sit at a table, first by the bride crying "ten pendulum", the bride crying "a pendulum", the chef on the table set the same dishes, set up after the rest of the nine sisters took turns to cry, and finally by the bride to cry "ten collect! Finally, the bride cries "ten collects", the cook will again be the same wine and vegetables into the dishes collects finished, accompanied by ten sisters activities came to an end. Crying marriage lyrics are many, "ten pendulum", "ten harvest" have cried the virtue of the ancestors, the parents of the grace, sisterhood, brother and sister-in-law of the wise, the love of the homeland, etc., and sometimes also cried scolding the matchmaker. The sound of more than seven words and eight phrases of the jingle.
Silankapu
Silankapu is an ancient traditional Tujia craft brocade circulating in the Wuling Mountain area where the Tujia people are scattered. In Tujia language, "Xilan" means "cover" and "Kapu" means "flower". Xilan Kapu is the flower cover of Tujia people, which is the crystallization of wisdom and hard work of Tujia people, and is known as the flower of Tujia arts and crafts. Xilan Kapu, in the Northern Song Dynasty, was famous for a while, this kind of cloth woven with cotton yarn, was a kind of tribute for the Tujia people to worship the emperor at that time. At the same time, the Tujia people also used it to beautify their own clothes. In recent times, the colors are warm and vivid, rich in patterns, and it has become one of the dowry items for Tujia girls. It is said that this kind of dowry must be the bride's new hand weaving, pattern by the bride's own conception, the pattern is flowers, birds, insects and fish and a variety of geometric charts, fine weaving, colorful, simple and elegant style, texture is fine. Silankappu emphasizes on the pattern and fine workmanship. The pattern on the quilt surface is made of various colored silk threads, with more than 100 kinds of flowers and patterns. Xilan Kapu is generally about 50 centimeters wide each, three of them can be used as quilt tops, and a single one can be used as pillowcases, aprons, table mats, foot quilts and so on.
Over the half of the month
Tujia people pay more attention to over the half of the month, there is a "small year, the half of the month is big," said. Originally, the 15th of the seventh lunar month for the month half of the festival, but because of the half of the month must be a family reunion, and take back the married girl, which in time there is "in-laws over the month half away from the mother's home over the month half must go" contradiction, and then booked the first day of the month of July to fifteen, are over the month half. The main activity of the month half is ancestor worship, to paper money sealed package, write the name of the deceased parent long, burned in the open air, raise the voice of the name of mourning, to show respect to send silver, and incense, candles all over the path, called the road candles, the money in the field, give to the lone souls and wandering ghosts.
Dongkequan
It is a small musical instrument popular among young men and women of the Tujia ethnic group, and it is simple to make, as long as a small bamboo section with a length of three or four inches, chiseled with four small holes, equipped with a small live tongue, can be played.
Tujia young men and women are blowing dong dong quin, generally in between labor or leisure, or squatting under the ancient trees, or standing in the creek, bamboo forest, or three, five people play, or a solo, they look into the sky, blowing their own heart song, that kind of ancient thinking about the melodious tune, intoxicating.
Legend has it that a long, long time ago, the Tujia people had a woman named Dong Dong, she is hard-working and kind, dexterous, often help another person weave the soil flower quilt surface, weaving snakeskin flower belt, making shoes, sewing, so the Tujia people all love Dong Dong. Later, Dongdong's husband was captured to the king of the soil equal palace, Dongdong's husband said when he left: "in the peach blossom time, I'm going to come back." In the spring, winter sitting under the peach tree, looking at the peach blossom, waiting for her husband to come back, waiting for the bitter, she casually folded a bamboo, chiseled a small eye, leaving a live tongue. Blow to the peach blossom, to send the feelings of longing for her husband. Peach blossoms bloomed, peach blossoms fell, the husband has not returned. The second year is also so, the third year winter is blowing a small bamboo pipe, flying a small magpie resting on the peach branch, to winter reported that: "Do not blow, the husband is dead, do not blow, the husband is dead." It turned out that Winter's husband had been tortured to death. When DongDong heard the evil news, she also cried herself to death under the peach tree. After the death of Dongdong, whenever the peach blossom season, in the quieter and deeper night, you can still hear this melodious and mournful voice.
Tujia people for the people miss winter, but also according to the winter made before the birth of the small bamboo pipe blowing, at the same time the name of this small musical instrument is called "winter quinquanto", "quinquanto" is the "blow" word The name is a variation of the word "blow".
Catching up with the New Year
Southern people's Spring Festival is often called "New Year's Day", while the Tujia people's Spring Festival is called "Catching up with the New Year". Catching the New Year is the grandest festival of the year for the Tujia people. The so-called "Catch the New Year", the most notable feature is a day or two days in advance (i.e., Lunar New Year 28 or 29), which the Tujia people have their own legend to explain.
Legend has it that during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the ancestors of the Tujia ethnic group were with General Hu Zongxian in his quest for Japanese invaders, and one year, when the Spring Festival was approaching, the Japanese invaders had not been eliminated. Far from home, the Tujia people in the day of the 29th day of the waxing moon in advance of the New Year, the commander-in-chief of the General treats the generals and soldiers to stimulate the operculum fighting spirit. After the sumptuous celebrations, the generals and soldiers were refreshed and their military spirit was greatly boosted. On the next day (New Year's Eve), when the Japanese were off guard, they attacked and won the war. In honor of their ancestors, the Tujia have always celebrated New Year's Eve early and called it the New Year of the Rush, making it the biggest festival of the year.
The Tujia people celebrate New Year's Eve, but also kill the New Year's pig, spring mochi, do snacks. Especially this year patty cake, very characteristic. Patty cake more in the wax month 27 this day, and often left and right several families together to play, overflowing with laughter and harmony. The method is to steam the glutinous rice, then beat it with a special groove and mallet, and then press it into a flat shape. After the patties are made, they are always put together in bunches of five, and five large patties are also made, which they call "Kulang patties". Originally, this kind of rice was used to pay tribute to the king of the land, but it became a custom over a long period of time and has been used ever since. It is said that if any family does not make a big mochi, the year will be unlucky.
June 6
The sixth day of the sixth month of the ancient calendar is a grand festival of the Tujia people in honor of the ancient hero Qin Li. On this day, the Tujia cottage is full of joy, killing pigs, slaughtering sheep, playing patties, making tofu, taking guests from far away to their homes as guests, taking out all the clothes of the family to sunbathe in the sun, women washing their hair in the stream, lanterns and torches in the evening, and also dancing in the Pendulum Hall in the Pendulum Dance.
Legend has it that one year, the Tujia inhabited by famine, Qin Li's mother died of starvation, one night the mother to Qin Li dream, to Qin Li planted a mountain of bamboo, in the hall practice three years and six months of the arrows, wait until the chickens fly on the dog on the house when the arrows to the north to shoot, you can shoot to death the emperor, to the emperor's seat. Qin Li listened to his mother's words and planted a bamboo plant in the back of the mountain, closed the door and practiced archery in the hall, telling his sister-in-law to wait for three years and six months, and then call out to him when she saw the chickens flying and the dogs coming up to the house. After three years, his sister-in-law got tired of waiting, put the black dog on the house, drove the chickens all over the sky, and then shouted to Qin Li, saying that it was three years and six months, and that the chickens and dogs were flying up to the house. Qin Li heard his sister-in-law's shouts and opened the gate in a panic, then drew his bow full and fired three arrows to the north. As soon as the arrows were shot, the roots of the nanzhu in the back of the mountain exploded, and the arrows shot out before they could mount the horse and miss the emperor. The emperor pulled out the nail in the dragon seat on the simple pole to see, on the "Hukuang Qin Li" four words, and then sent troops and horses Marshal with five thousand soldiers to drive to the south of the lake to catch Qin Li. Qin Li and his sister-in-law to hide in the mountains, hiding for three years and six months, soldiers and horses Marshal as if looking for a needle in the sea, did not see the traces of Qin Li, arrangements for the date of the return of the dynasty, who knew that Qin Li in the ravine to bathe on the back of the three services of the Golden Dragon flashing was seen by the soldiers and was captured and dismissed to the capital, put in jail, his sister-in-law also followed to the capital to visit Qin Li, his sister-in-law instructed Qin Li said: "You only need to say that the back of the Golden Dragon was The emperor himself interrogated Qin Li the next day. The next day, the emperor personally interrogated. The emperor saw the golden dragon on Qin Li's back, did not dare to kill him, asked whether it was generated or painted, Qin Li remembered his sister-in-law's instructions, promised to say painted, the emperor heard that it was painted a slight smile, and instructed the axe hand dragged out to be chopped off, sister-in-law rushed to the killing field, hugged Qin Li and cried bitterly, blood spattered on her clothes, hair. After Qin Li was killed, heaven and earth are not divided, the sun and moon are not clear, chickens and dogs do not bark, the emperor knows to kill the wrong, the emperor does not wear a dragon robe, do not ascend to the dragon seat, so that Qin Li's shadowy spirit to wear a dragon robe, sit a day in the dragon seat, to be the emperor for a day.
Tujia people in this day sun clothes also called sun dragon robe, is Qin Li do a day of the emperor's legend, this day the women wash their hair, but also because of the blood oil in the sister-in-law's hair left on the story. Now the Tujia area is rumored to have "three years, but can not afford to wait six months" and other sayings are referred to the story of Qin Li.
Cow King Festival
The ancestors of the Tujia people engaged in farming earlier, and from ancient times have developed a tradition of caring for and respecting farming cattle. Every year, the 18th day of the fourth month of the ancient calendar is designated as the birthday of the ox. On this day, the Tujia people have to give the cattle to do the birthday, even if the spring production is very busy, to the April 18th day, but also let all the cattle rest for a day, but also for the cattle to cook thin rice, the master but also respectfully read a "wish cattle king word". It is said that when he reads this, the old ox is in tears, feeling that his master has spoken to his heart.
Legend has it that the Ox King was originally a divine general of the sky. One day, he accompanied the Jade Emperor to watch the mortal landscape at the Southern Heavenly Gate, and when he saw that the mortals had no food to eat, and that each one was yellow and thin, he begged the Jade Emperor to send grain seeds to the mortals, so that the mortals could eat compatriot stomachs. The Jade Emperor acceded to the Ox King's request, but instructed, "Tell the mortals to eat one meal in three days." The Ox King joyfully came to the mortal world and sent many seeds to the mortals and taught the method of plowing, but he panicked and misrepresented the Jade Emperor's words and said to eat three meals a day. Mortals have food, eat three meals a day, the stomach cells, the days are good, everyone ate fat fat, there is nothing to do, knocking on the lid of the tripod pots and jars singing, disturbing the Jade Emperor uneasiness. One day, the Jade Emperor said to the Ox King: "mortals eat nothing to do, you go to the grain field to sow some grass seed seeds, after the industry grain field is full of grass, weed weed weed it." This time the bull king again the jade emperor's words heard wrong, take a step to sprinkle three grass seed seeds, and then the grain field is full of grass, weed and weed can not be finished, the people side of the weed scolding, scolding the jade emperor killed the mortals, scolding the jade emperor is impatient. One day, the Jade Emperor called the Ox King and said, "It's all because you've spoiled the good things. Mortal kung fu is not done, you go down to the world to help mortals pull the plow and harrow to do Yangchun go, hungry to eat grass on the ground." On the 18th day of April, the Ox King descended to the mortal world. From then on, after the king honestly to the mortals, to help mortals drag the plough and harrow, a year of suffering to the end of the day shall not rest. Hungry to eat green stuffed belly. People in order to repay the bull king, so the 18th of April into the bull king's birthday. "April 18th cow break driving", until now, this ancient custom is still firmly maintained.
Tang House
Tujia Hair Residence is generally built on the mountain, Luming three dark king layout, two compartments of the footstools, the main room in the middle of the room for the hall, the hall set on the incense box (shrine), for the famous road God Lord. The hall house is a sacred place for Tujia people's sacrificial activities, and also a place for organizing important ceremonies of marriage and funeral. Especially in the case of old age and death, the Tujia people will hold a mourning dance in the hall to commemorate the death. Tujia people believe that "everything has a spirit" and "the soul does not die," and therefore the funeral is organized, with the joyful and enthusiastic mourning dance in memory of the deceased, active atmosphere. Therefore, "with the book" said: "the old man died, put the body coffins, leading the young people, each holding a bow and arrow, around the coffin and sing, with arrows to buckle the bow for the festival, singing the joy of his life to the end of death." From this period of history, this is likely to be the earliest Baren "funeral dance", the meaning of the ancient people with bows and arrows to drive away the evil spirits, for the deceased to sing the praises of the dead, similar to the present people for the dead to open a memorial service.